Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
How I Planned My Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Ride Without Wasting a Day
44
items Drove all the way to Revelstoke BC last summer only to realize I had no plan — missed half the good stuff, wore the wrong shoes, and froze on the chairlift. If you're heading to Revelstoke for the mountain coaster and don't want to spend your trip fi...
Sections
11
Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Prep
Where to Eat in Revelstoke Before the Coaster
Revelstoke Mountain Resort Trail Rides
Revelstoke Accommodation That's Actually Close
What to Pack for a Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Day
Revelstoke Activities Beyond the Mountain Coaster
Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Prep
I showed up in running shoes and a cotton hoodie like a fool — the coaster track was wet and I was shivering by run two. These are the things I grabbed before my second trip and the difference was night and day.
Get your tickets online before you drive up — I waited in a 45-minute line my first visit because I assumed it wouldn't be busy on a Tuesday. It was.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Pair this with your coaster ticket for the combo deal. Rode it after the coaster and the views from the top genuinely made my jaw drop — worth every extra dollar.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Throw this on instead of a cotton hoodie. Revelstoke mornings are cold even in July and this dried out in minutes after I got caught in a surprise drizzle halfway through the day.
Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoodie - Men's | REI Co-op
Swap out your sneakers for these if you plan to do anything beyond the coaster parking lot. The trails around the resort are rocky and my running shoes were basically ice skates on wet gravel.
Men's Moab 3 Hiking Shoes
Where to Eat in Revelstoke Before the Coaster
Made the mistake of eating a massive breakfast right before riding — bad idea on a twisty alpine coaster. Here's where to fuel up without regretting it mid-ride.
Grab a croissant and coffee here before heading up the mountain. Light enough that you won't feel sick on the coaster but filling enough to keep you going until lunch.
La Baguette
Try the breakfast sandwich if you need something more substantial. I went here on day two and it sat perfectly — no regrets even on the brakeless speed runs.
The Modern Bakeshop & Cafe
Keep this in your back pocket for a quick post-coaster lunch. The fish tacos hit different after an adrenaline rush and the portions are big enough that you won't need a second stop.
The Taco Club
Use this for your reward dinner after the whole day. Sat on the patio with sore legs and a local beer and it felt earned. Book ahead though — they fill up fast in summer.
Woolsey Creek Bistro
Revelstoke Mountain Resort Trail Rides
After the coaster I had three hours to kill and almost just sat in the parking lot scrolling my phone. Don't be me — these trails are right there and they're incredible.
Take the gondola up and hike from the lodge — it's a short walk with massive payoff. Perfect if you're the person who wants mountain views without committing to a full-day hike.
Alpine Hikes at Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Drive this on your way back from the resort. Twenty-six kilometers of switchbacks with pulloffs that look like desktop wallpapers. I stopped at every single one and don't regret it.
Meadows in the Sky Parkway - Mount Revelstoke National Park
Snag this quick stop on the highway near Revelstoke — it's a 20-minute loop through old growth cedars that are genuinely enormous. Great for stretching your legs between activities.
Giant Cedars Boardwalk Trail, British Columbia, Canada
Bring a light daypack and do this 1.5-hour round trip if you want a waterfall photo that doesn't require suffering. My 60-year-old dad crushed it without complaining once.
Sutherland Falls
Revelstoke Accommodation That's Actually Close
Booked a cheap motel 40 minutes away my first trip and the morning drive ate into coaster time. Staying close changed everything — rolled out of bed and was on the mountain in ten minutes.
Stay here if you want to literally walk to the coaster. Woke up, grabbed coffee in the lobby, and was in line before the crowds showed up from town.
Sutton Place Hotel Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Try this downtown spot for something with more character. The rooms feel like a mountain lodge without the musty smell, and downtown Revelstoke is walkable from here.
HOTEL EXPLORERS SOCIETY | REVELSTOKE, CANADA
Keep this as your budget pick — it's clean, central, and the parking is free. Spent the savings on extra coaster rides and food instead of a fancy room I barely used.
Revelstoke Lift Ticket Prices and Rates
Grab one of their cabins if you're coming with a group. We split a two-bedroom four ways and it came out cheaper than the motel I booked solo the year before.
Basecamp Resorts Revelstoke
What to Pack for a Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Day
Packed like I was going to the beach my first trip. Revelstoke sits in a valley and the weather shifts fast — sunny at the base, windy and cold at the top.
Wear this around your neck on the coaster — the wind at speed is no joke and my neck was raw and red after four runs without one. Weighs nothing, fixes everything.
Multifunction Headwear Buff Original EcoStretch Neckwear
Toss this in your bag because you will kill your phone battery taking photos and videos on the gondola. Learned that lesson when my phone died at 2pm with half the day left.
Anker Power Bank, 10000mAh Portable Charger
Use these instead of expensive sunglasses on the coaster. They stay on your face, they're polarized, and if they fly off at speed you're out twenty bucks instead of two hundred.
goodr OG Polarized Sunglasses Women & Men
Bring water — there's no free water station near the coaster loading area and a bottle from the resort shop cost me six dollars. Fill this up at the hotel and clip it to your bag.
CamelBak Eddy Recplacement Bite Valves and Straws
Revelstoke Activities Beyond the Mountain Coaster
Thought the coaster was the whole trip until a local told me I was missing half the town. Revelstoke has way more going on than one ride, especially if you've got a full weekend.
Swing by this if you have a spare hour downtown. Didn't expect much but the history of how they built the railroad through those mountains is genuinely wild — my partner who hates museums liked it.
Revelstoke Railway Museum
Bring the kids here after a long mountain day. The waterslide and hot tub combo is exactly what sore legs need, and it's cheap enough that you won't feel guilty about it.
Revelstoke Community & Aquatic Centre
Pop in even if you can't afford a heli trip — the staff told us stories about backcountry runs that made me start a savings account on the spot. Winter bucket list material.
TRIP REPORT: Heliskiing With Kingfisher Heli
Visit this sanctuary near town to see rescued bears up close. Way better than hoping to spot one in the wild, and the guides actually know what they're talking about.
Ethical wildlife tourism at Grizzly Ranch in Hartford, Alabama
Best Photo Spots Near Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Took 200 photos my first trip and they all looked the same — parking lot selfies and blurry coaster shots. Second trip I actually found the spots worth stopping for.
Get off the gondola at the top and walk to the viewing platform before doing anything else. The Columbia Valley spread out below you is the kind of view that makes your phone camera feel inadequate.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Hike twenty minutes in for a waterfall backdrop that looks like a movie set. Brought a friend who's a photographer and even she said the lighting in the afternoon was ridiculous.
Begbie Falls
Drive ten minutes north of town and stand on top of this dam. Looking straight down 175 meters into the Columbia River gave me vertigo but the photos were worth the sweaty palms.
Revelstoke Dam Visitor Centre
Earn this one with a moderate hike — the panoramic view of Revelstoke and the surrounding peaks is the kind of thing you'd frame and hang on a wall. Go on a clear morning for the best light.
Mount Macpherson, British Columbia, Canada
Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Tips for Families
Brought my nephew without checking the height requirement first and he was two centimeters too short. Nearly ruined the whole trip — here's how to avoid my mistakes with kids.
Grab the family bundle online before you go — saves real money if you have two or more kids. We saved almost forty dollars compared to buying individual tickets at the window.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort Is On Ikon Pass
Bring your own kid-sized helmet if your little one is nervous about the coaster. The resort has them but my nephew felt braver wearing his own familiar gear from home.
Paw Patrol Chase Blue Kids Headphones | Blue
Use this if you want to hike any trails with a toddler after the coaster. The trails near the resort are stroller-unfriendly and carrying my nephew on my shoulders lasted about eight minutes.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Baby Backpack Carrier Review
Switch to this if your kid is too short for the coaster — it's right at the base and has enough ropes and climbing to burn off the disappointment. Saved our afternoon.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Getting to Revelstoke BC From Major Cities
Underestimated the drive from Calgary and arrived exhausted at 9pm with everything closed. Plan your route properly and you'll actually enjoy the drive instead of white-knuckling it.
Stop here on the Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and Revelstoke. Breaks up the drive perfectly, the avalanche history exhibits are fascinating, and the bathrooms are clean — all three matter on a long road trip.
Rogers Pass Discovery Centre
Pull off the highway about 30 minutes west of Revelstoke for this bizarre roadside attraction. Three hundred hand-built fairy tale figures in the forest — my kids talked about it more than the coaster honestly.
The Enchanted Forest
Detour through here on the drive from Calgary and stretch your legs on the boardwalk trails. The glaciers are retreating fast so what you see now won't look the same in ten years.
The Glacier Skywalk
Swing through this quirky stop twenty minutes west of Revelstoke. It's a restored ghost town with old cars and buildings — kitschy in the best way and a solid photo op to break up highway monotony.
Three Valley Ghost Town
Revelstoke Mountain Coaster Rainy Day Backup Plans
Drove five hours and it poured rain all day — the coaster still runs in light rain but heavy storms shut it down. Had zero backup plan and almost wasted the whole trip until a bartender saved me.
Park yourself here when the rain hits and try the local flight. The bartender recommended the pale ale and it was the best thing I drank all trip. Cozy spot with big windows to watch the storm.
Craft Bierhaus
Bring the crew here for bowling when the mountain is socked in. Nobody in our group expected to have this much fun bowling in a mountain town but it genuinely saved a washed-out afternoon.
Revs Bowl Bar and Grill
Tuck into this coffee shop with a book and wait out the weather. The chai latte is unreasonably good and the vibe is the kind of relaxed where you lose track of two hours without noticing.
The Coffee Bean
Wander through the current exhibit and chat with whoever's working — they know every artist personally. Spent an hour here on a rainy morning and left with a print that's now hanging in my hallway.
Revelstoke Visual Arts Centre
Revelstoke Souvenirs Worth Actually Bringing Home
Almost bought a generic Canada magnet at a gas station before I found these local spots. The stuff made in Revelstoke actually means something — not just another fridge magnet collecting dust.
Snag this from the resort gift shop — it's warm enough to actually wear all winter and every time someone asks about it you get to tell the coaster story. Conversation starter that earns its shelf space.
Trail map Revelstoke Mountain Resort
Bring home a bottle of their gin or vodka as a gift for whoever watched your dog while you traveled. Small batch, made locally, and it tastes way better than anything you'd grab at duty free.
Monashee Spirits Craft Distillery
Grab a bag of these locally roasted beans downtown. Every morning for two weeks after the trip I made coffee that tasted like vacation — best fifteen dollars I spent in Revelstoke.
Stoke Roasted Coffee Co.
Pick up a shirt from this local brand instead of generic tourist gear. The designs actually look good enough to wear in public and the cotton is thick enough that it won't fall apart after three washes.
Revelstoke, British Columbia T-Shirt